Halliwell Elementary Students celebrate D.A.R.E. graduation, fifth-grade send-off
NORTH SMITHFIELD — As the school year closed, Halliwell Elementary School held its annual D.A.R.E. Graduation and Fifth Grader send-off celebration over two ceremonies held in the school auditorium.
In all, six, fifth-grade classes were awarded advancement certificates from the school, and their D.A.R.E. certificates, in addition to several book awards and special prizes.
North Smithfield Police Patrolman Eugene Cabral, overseeing his 18th and final D.A.R.E. graduation at Halliwell, said he couldn’t be more impressed by this year’s fifth graders, six of whom read their D.A.R.E. essays at the two ceremonies.
“It was the best 18 years of my career,” Cabral, a 21-year department veteran, said of his role as the school’s D.A.R.E. coordinator and instructor.
“I’ve graduated close to 3,000 students through the program,” he said while noting D.A.R.E.’s goal of helping students to make the right decisions on substance abuse and violence.
“The goal is to educate kids on the dangerous consequences and make them drugs-, alcohol- and violence-free,” he said.
The program, usually getting underway for fifth graders at the school after the Christmas vacation, involves eight weeks of class time on the D.A.R.E. curriculum as well as some fun activities like the D.A.R.E. fundraiser that helps fund the award ceremony and Kickball Day, a day-long kickball event at Halliwell that is a highlight of the program for both the students, their teachers and Cabral.
As he announced he will be moving to other duties next year, Cabral thanked his wife, Denise, for her help with the program over the years, and noted she even wore the Darren the D.A.R.E. lion costume for the very first graduation he put on.
Patrolwoman Crystal LinCabral, no relation, will be taking over the program next year and getting advice from her predecessor as needed.
Halliwell Principal Jennifer D. Daigneault presented Cabral with a commemorative kickball signed by all of this year’s program graduates as a thank you gift for his service to the school.
Daigneault is also leaving Halliwell this year and will be starting as the new principal of the North Smithfield Elementary School in the fall. A trio of this year’s fifth graders, Madelyn McNeil, Prestyn Phomsoupha and Hayden Dube, carried a special gift, a poster of thanks, up to Daigneault as the ceremony continued.
During the morning ceremony, D.A.R.E. essay winners were Hayley Abbruzzese of Mrs. Galoski’s class, Jack Battersby of Mrs. Lafleur’s class and Alexia Lambert of Miss Robson’s class.
In the afternoon ceremony, Isaiah Kiamba of Miss Costa’s class read an essay telling his peers how he had learned “that tobacco is very bad and you should never use it, and the facts prove it.”
Madelyn McNeil of Miss Glover’s class, wrote how she “learned about tobacco, marijuana, alcohol and violence.
“I have also learned how to say no to all these things and choose other things instead,” McNeil said.
And, Madison Costello of Mr. Jannetta’s class, wrote how she had learned that “tobacco can cause breathing problems, more colds and upper-respiratory problems and heart diseases.”
Costello said she had also learned that marijuana use “can cause breathing problems, and also more colds and respiratory problems,” and also affects a person’s brain and body leading to short term memory loss, loss of the ability to concentrate and it can even affect the ability to judge “distances, speed and reaction time.”
In conclusion, Costello said she had learned “many facts about why these drugs are very bad for my health and others.” The student said her pledge was “to make wise decisions about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.”
The program also included remarks from School Committeewoman Jean B. Meo, sitting on stage with Assistant Superintendent Claire Arnold as School Superintendent Michael St. Jean was out in the audience taking photos of the ceremonies for the school.
“I congratulate all of the fifth graders on your D.A.R.E. certificates and fifth-grade graduation. This is a big day for you,” Meo said. “D.A.R.E. has taught you to take a stand and speak up and say no,” she said. And now as the students head on to the middle school, Meo said, “I know that everything you have done here at Halliwell will bring you much success in the sixth grade.”
The soon-to-be middle-school students concluded their ceremony by singing “Humble and Kind,” to the accompaniment of McNeil on the guitar.
Cabral said he was grateful to Chief Steven Reynolds for the opportunity to run the D.A.R.E. program at the school but noted he also would not have wanted to miss “educating kids on how to make good decisions.”